Resveratrol and Pterostilbene Regulate MED28 Expression and Cell Growth in Human Breast Cancer Cells

Resveratrol and pterostilbene, found in grapes and berries, among other plants, exhibit numerous biological roles and putative chemotherapeutic effects. MED28, a Mediator subunit for transcriptional activation, is highly expressed in several types of tumor including breast cancer. Recently,we have reported that MED28 regulates cellular migration and invasion in human breast cancer cells, and resveratrol can inhibit the effect. In the current study we investigated the effect of resveratrol and pterostilbene on MED28 expression and cell growth in human breast cancer cells. When MED28 is overexpressed by ectopic expression or induced by epidermal growth factor, resveratrol and pterostilbene may suppress MED28-associated cell growth. Resveratrol and pterostilbene appeared to suppress cell growth, at least partially, by reducing the expression of MED28 and cyclin D1 as well as mediating the transcriptional activity of NFkB. This finding may eventually result in clinical application as to integrate resveratrol and pterostilbene into adjuvant regimen in cancer treatment. (This work was supported by the grants 98-2320-B-309-002-MY3,NSC101-2320-B-309-001, and NSC102-2320-B-309-001-MY3 to M-F Lee.)